Antenna attaching device



Feb. T. B. FRIEDMAN ANTENNA ATTACHING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1946 FIG. 1

IN ENOR Feb. 7, 1950 T. B. FRIEDMAN 2,496,938

ANTENNA ATTACHING DEVICE Filed 50 31;. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2| as 34A" 34, \33

' FIG. 2

FIG. 3

INVENTOR 8. Far- Feb. 7, 1950 "r. B. FRIEDMAN ANTENNA ATTACHING DEVICE 4 Sheds-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 15., 1946 INVENTOR W 5- FM Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PAT EN'T OFFICE ANTENNA ATTACHING DEVICE Thomas B. Friedman, Cleveland Heights, Ohio,

assignor of one-half to Irwin F. Mills Associates, New Y'o'rk, N. Y.

Application September 13,1846, Serial No. 696,743

13 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in means for anchoring securely and removably radio antennas onto bodies of vehicles.

One of the objects thereof isto provide a single, elilcient and inexpensive means for. attaching an automobile radio antenna so it may be firmly and solidly mounted on the car by operations performed from theoutside orexterior of the car "only.

A further object is to so shape, construct and arrange the parts of the antenna anchoring or connecting means for the vehicle that considerable time will be saved in the installation thereof,

cumbersome, irksom'e work eliminatedand simplicity of assembling of the parts promoted.

Another object thereof is to provide a form of antenna attaching means for vehicles which permits certain cumbersome parts now employed to be entirely dispensed with, with a resultant increase in serviceability and efiicien-cy of the circuit closing media employed in my invention.

In most cases, present day installation of radio antennas call for bolting or similarly attaching with screws or similar-means the electrical parts involved, to the sheet steel side or panel of the vehicle body. In so assembling the antenna anchoring parts holes have to be specially drilled, in the sideof the car, the inner felt insulation has to be-reached and removed to displace the pitch or other lining on the interior of the vehicle body and then access is had for inserting the stud or bolt which usually extends from the base of the mounting insulator or bracket into the hole for afiixing in the side opposite thereto a clamping nut and lockwasher.

An object thereof in my device is to replace rigid screw fastenings and like parts for antenna anchoring purposes by means of an expanding self-locking type of connecting means which admits of directly being connected from outside the vehicle body. It is the work of a very few minutes to firmly and positively anchor the antenna in place on the car, by using these novel expedients without using special tools.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specifications, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my invention installed in a car, the latter being shown fragmentarily,

Figure '2 is a sectional detail view of the interen'g'agement or one tubular member with another, re'silientlyy'for self-locking of one against the other "fixedly, all parts being shown fragmentarily, I

l igu-re 3 is a front end elevation or my fitting shown mounted against the panel of the vehicle,

Figure 4 is a rear'end elevation of myfitting shown installed 'fromoutside the vehicle body,

Figure-5 is a side elevation of my invention,

Figure 6 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view of the telescoping interlocking tubular members showing the encased member riding with its jagged surface over-the constricted lip in the bore of the encas'ing member, and

Figure 7 is a fragmented sectional view of a vehicle body showing manner of attaching the antenna rod place.

i eferring to the drawings which are merely illustrative of my -invention-l disclose the various parts thereof. The automobile side body structure-has the panel M made part thereof in a conventional manner. An opening it is formed in this panel. 15 is a plastic insulator bracket or holder located outside the vehicle formed with an internal socket 46. On the inner suriace of the panel Hi may be a lining of pitch to act as a sound and heatinsulator.

I orovide a pair of oppositely projecting pref erably telescoping tubular bodies or members 10 and II respectively. The tubular member Ill extends in one direction outside of the vehicle body structure, into the socket or chamber it formed in the holder 15. The other tubular member H encases member 10 and projects in a counter direction relatively to it as to project inside of the vehicle. I

I form a pair of adjoining annular flanges l2 and {3 respectively upon tubular members it and Il, the flange l3 being of a larger diameter than flange 12. A spring washer i8 is interposed between the respective'fiange's I2 and I3.

Tubular member H is externally screw threaded u on its prci'ectingiengtnas aft 2e. It is formed internally or its bore having at its outer terminal an annular wedge-sha ed inte'g 'ral lip 21 which provides an annular surface 22 that flares inwardly toward flange and which con- St'illct'ldn reduces the diflir'itfbf the bOle of this tubular member at its outermost extremit I mount insecure anchorin relation the usual bolt or stud- 21 which is associated in connected relation with the antenna, in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. This stud at its end 26 extends into counterbore ll of of the encased tubular member chamber l6 or directly into socket 16, Figure 1. The manner of inserting the antenna rod into this stud hereinafter appears. It is also inserted threadedly into a threaded collar insert 25 which snugly is itself fitted into an insulator ferrule 24 held tightly in position in the innermost end of tubular member III in an operative manner. The end of member [8 is then turned over the open end of the ferrule to securely lock it in place.

The tubular member in is formed at its opposite end with a circumferentially spaced apart series of separated segmental portions 34a having between them intervening slits or slots 3?. These portions are all resilient when pressed against. They are designed to provide a series of selflocking parts by which the encased tubular member ID may be automatically locked or latched onto the encasing tubular member if Threads are formed upon the cylindrically complemental self-locking separated portions 34a 19. This is shown more particularly in Figure 2 at 3:2- as jagged surfaces. Each thread or jagged surface is substantially frusto-conical in shape having a shoulder 34b. The succession of frusto-conical surfaces presents interrupted projections 35. Adapted to engage with any of these jagged surfaces 34 is the annular wedge-shaped surface of lip 2| formed internally of the encasing tubular member H in its bore. This surface 2| flares inwardly as at 22 in the direction of the flange l3 of this member, and it constricts the bore thereof at the outermost end of the tubular member H.

The series of jagged threaded parts 35 of the encased tubular member are engaged encirclingly by the lip 2! of the member ll. In one direction 1. e., towards flange l2 of member Hi,

these jagged portions or threads 35 cannot move;

hence the member IS in this direction cannot have relative movement with respect to member ll. But in an opposite direction, it is readily seen that, when member I!) is forcibly pushed to the right within encasing member II, the

jagged portions 34 wedge themselves, one by one, in the nature of teeth, against the confining lip of member H. As this takes place each jagged tooth in turn is resiliently depressed, as the inclined edge 35 thereof is engaged against the lip.

Figure 6 shows this when the particular jagged tooth is thus resiliently depressed, the slit 3'! in member 10 is contracted, temporarily. After it has slipped over lip 2 I, the slit is again normally posed. It follows from this action that the encased member In may readily be moved longitudinally within encasing member ll adjustably and automatically latched in adjusted position.

Mounted in the encased section l0, inside of the vehicle at its end opposite to where stud 26 is located, is an inner insulating sleeve 28 having a bore 45. This sleeve partially projects beyond member ID and is received inside of a lining 29. The lining 29, at 3|, is soldered onto sleeve end If). A bushing 30 is fitted over the lining 29 in the forwardly projecting part of the insulating sleeve 28.

A nut 48 is threadedly engaged over the outermost threaded portion of the sleeve 1 l adjustably so as to be spaced away from the panel l4. Secured around this cap nut 48 is a band 38 of a spring clip. This spring clip isformed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart deflected fingers 39 which flare in the direction of panel I4. These spring fingers 39, 4B are flexibly caused to project beyond the cap nut 48 and they terminate in a convergent series of arms 4|, 42 which project snugly into the opening I9 formed in panel l4. Hooks 43 are formed terminally upon the fingers 39, 40. The purpose of these spring fingers is to anchor the unit composed of the interlocked tubular members 10 and H in adjustable spaced relation to panel [4, depending in various instances upon the distance along the length of the vehicle body they project into.

Located operatively within insulating sleeve 28 is a conductor 45. The bolt or stud 25 carries a forwardly projecting contact point 21a. There is a resilient clip 41 carried by the conductor 45 which operatively connects, as a terminal, the end of this conductor 48, with the contact point 210. This clip 41 connects the electrical antenna connection through members I 0 and H which form make and break unit for same.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that my invention provides in effect a shielded antenna cable which is readily installed, accessible and maintained removably at all times. It is located in the base of the antenna insulator or bracket 15 that mounts on the outside of the car. There are preferably two bolts for supporting the antenna rod, which may project into a unitary holder, optionally, as disclosed in Figure 7. It constitutes an expanding type of antenna fastener because of the method of self-locking the anchoring members composed of tubular members It and II in any size and situation of retaining vehicular structure. This expanding fastener uses spring steel, phosphor bronze or any other metal having suitable elastic properties so as to admit of being easily compressed or contracted after being forced through the hole 19 formed in the side of the car.

The manner of installing my invention will now be detailed.

Insulated shield 28 is a shielded cable which runs to the radio receiver in the automobile, which has a bayonet fittingof conventional design (not shown) on the other end which engages the antenna connection socket in the receiver.

When installing the antenna 211) a hole [9 is first drilled in the panel H of the vehicle in any desired section thereof, which may be the fender, topor any other part of the car. Nut 48 is threaded onto tubular member ll so that it engages the threads thereof to cause the fingers 39-48 to lie flat along the outer surface of member ll, just about touching flange l3. The di ameter of hole I9 will be made sufficiently large to permit the head of nut 48 to pass there through from outside of the vehicle body, as well as to accommodate the thickness of the spring clip aflixed to the nut so that the nut cannot turn independently of the clip.

Flange l3 of tubular member H has a hexagonal head adapted to be turned by aid of a wrench or other tool. When this head is turned it tends to draw nut 48 towards the panel of the car, as the nut is prevented from turningby the fingers 39-40, which barely clear the hole I9 and so are constrained to firmly grip the sides of this hole. As the nut 48 is being drawn up on the threads of member II the spring fingers 3946 are forced out due to the fact that they are held firmly at the nut head and the hole, since the only part free to move is the middle which then bulges out.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the outer surface of the spring clip fingers will firmly ber H.

SiO'n of slots 31 abut against the inner corner of the hole 19 as "at"51. The antenna assembly, consisting of in- 37 contract until ultimately flange 1-2 on member f0, lizicatcd in holder I 5, outside the car, has compressed washer is against flange 1'3 or mem- The assembly is then securely looked under the tension exerted by spring Washer l8 which, in forcing against flange I2, transfers pressure between the flat part of segment 34 and the inner edge of lip 21. To this is added the outward pressure exerted by the threaded part of member 1'0 against lip 2i due to the compres- Even when lip 2| is seated into the base of one of the grooves of 34 the dimension should be such that slot 31 is partially compressed, and, due to the elasticity of the metal,

exerts aforce against the member which compresses it.

From Figure '7 it will be seen that the antenna rod2l'a projects through the bolts or studs 26, through'suitable holes or eyes '2'! formed in the latter for this purpose in order to be electrically in contact with said bolts. The lower bolt is connected to opposite sides of the panel I4 by the same means alreadydescribed in connection with the upper bolt. readily be seen that the cable 28 may be inserted through the inner bore of the tubular member H asby pulling it through the panel. The person performing this operation will draw member m up against the side or the automobile and engage itwi'th member I in the manner already explained. As an alternative procedure, however, it may be found desirable to push cable 28 through the hole I9, and then follow this action by applying the installed device in position inside of the car. The installer Will take hold of the/free end of the cable and guide it to the antenna socket on the receiver.

I do not intend to confine myself specifically to the exact details of construction herein set forth save as pointed out in the appended claims.

What -I- desire to claim is:

1. In a vehicle side panel having an opening, a bushing insertable into said opening so as to project there beyond in one direction, a tubular body telescopingly arranged extcnsibly in said bushing and projecting into the vehicle in a counter direction means holding the bushing against displacement from said opening in the direction in which it projects, said tubular body carrying internally an antenna connector unit and being formed terminallyat the outer end of said bushing with split resilient cheeks formed with a longitudinal series of supplemental jagged surfaces, said bushing having provision for crowding said jagged surfaces to lock the tubular body. in the bore of said bushing adjustably, a threaded collar encasing said bushing to actuate its crowding action, and a spring clip carried by said collar having provision for anchoring itself retractably in said opening.

2. A vehicle side panel having an opening, a tubular member centered with one end in said opening and having its outer end projecting into said vehicle, the bore of said member being From the foregoing it will" formed with anannular outwardly extending wedge -shaped lip, said member being externally threaded, said member outside said vehicle having a flange, a threaded collar adjustably engaging the threaded part of said bushing, a spring clip carried fixedly by said threaded collar having a plurality of fingers retractingly anchored onto the edge o'fsa'id panel opening so as to back up against said flange, and a tubular antennaconnection' carrying body adjustabl'y mounted operatively inside of said first member and having a plurality of resiliently separated frustoconically shaped annular surfaces any of which are held clampingly by thewedge shaped lip of said bushing as said collar is advanced thereon.

3. In a vehicle, a panel having an opening, a pair of oppositely arranged telescoping antennacontained and connecting tubular members having abuttable base flanges held in abutting relation outside of said vehicle and engaged against said par-rel, complemcntal means carried by the inner portions of both tubular members interengageable for clamping one member against the other to prevent longitudinal separation of said tubular members, means on one member movable longitudinally thereon for actuating the interengagement of both members, and a spring clip rigidly secured at its outer part upon said means and providing a series of spring fingers for anchored engagement with the edge of said opening, against one of said flanges.

4-. In a vehicle having an antenna holder appenda-ge and a anel having an opening, a tubular member passing through said opening, having a base flange abutting said panel, a collar threaded upon the external surface ofsaid member, a spring clip having portions secured upon said collar, intermediate arms flaring towards said panel "and terminal fingers converging from said arms so as to project into and be anchored against said opening and be flexed against said flange as said collar advances threadedly on said member in the direction of said panel, a tubular body telescopically fitted into said member and containing an antenna connecting unit extending into said antenna holder, a base flange on said tubular body in said holder a lock washer between both flanges and means operated by said collar as it turns threadedly on said member for clamping the tubular body resiliently into said member to connect tubular member and tubular body together so their flanges may abut, and in a manner to compress said lock washer.

5. A vehicle panel formed with an opening, a pair of telescoping tubular members projecting in opposite directions from said opening, antenna connecting means centered in the encased tubular member, a spring clip carried by the encasing tubular member for engagement adjustably with the edge of said opening, to prevent movement of said members together in one direction, a base flange on the encasingmember abutting said panel to prevent movement of said members in a counter direction, a self-locking split portion carried by said encased member for interengagement with the encasin-g member, and means th'readedl'y engaging said enc'asing member for. actuating the self-locking split portion of the encased member.

6. A vehicle panel formed with an opening, a pair of telescoping tubular members projecting in opposite directions through said opening, one of said members carrying self-locking means for engagement with the other member to prevent 76 relative movement coaxially between both tubular members, a longitudinally movable means on one of said members movable towards said opening to actuate the self-locking means of one member with relation to the other member, means carried by the longitudinally movable means for resilient engagement within said opening for the Purpose of preventing the interlocked members from movement towards said opening and means preventingmovement of the interlocked members away from said opening.

7. Antenna-connecting means for vehicles consisting of a pair of oppositely extending inter-telescoped tubular members both having base flanges so related that the flange of one tubular member may abut the panel wall of a vehicle whilst projecting therethrough, while the flanges of the other member may abut the other flange and be held against movement in one direction relatively thereto, one of said members having a split resilient self-locking unit and the other of said members having a pressing engagement with said self-locking unit to interconnect latchedly and detachably both members so they cannot separate in a counter direction, and means for actuating the interlocking engagement between both members which also has provision for engaging the panel of a vehicle for preventing movement of the interlocked members towards said panel.

8. As a new article of manufacture a pair of telescoping tubular members projecting in opposite directions, the bore of the encasing member being terminally formed with a constricted inwardly flaring annular lip, the terminal of the encased member being formed with a circumferentially extending series of split resilient annular frusto-conical shoulders with which the lip of the other member is longitudinally engageable, the relation between the members being such that the encased member may be extended beyond the encasin-g member to cause any of its frusto-conical shoulders to snap into adjustable latched engagement with said lip, and a pair of adjoining flanges carried by said members respectively caused to abut upon extension of one member formed at one end with a base flange and formed internally at its opposite end with a conical annular lip flaring towards said flange r,

and constricting the outermost end of its bore, the last named end of said tubular member being threaded, a collar threaded adjustably upon the threads of said tubular member, and a spring clip consisting of a band engaged around said collar and providing a circumferentially extending series of spring fingers flaring beyond the collar and terminating in convergent offsets which are formed with outermost hooks.

10. In a vehicle panel having an opening, an antenna supporting bracket having a tubular diametrically contractable body insertable into said opening from outside of the vehicle for insertion interiorly of the vehicle, an encasing tubular member also insertable, through said opening so as to bodily lie interiorly of said vehicle, being flanged against said panel exteriorly of the vehicle, a compressible washer mounted on said tubular body, a flange on the latter contactable against the other flange, a set of flexible spring fingers convergingly entering said opening to back up against an adjacent flange, and a nut threadedly adjustable on said tubular member having provision for simultaneously crowding flexibly said spring fingers and for contractin the tubular body to clamp the latter expansibly against the tubular member in adjustable lo cked relationship.

11. As a new article of manufacture a pair of telescoping tubular members, means adjustably positioning one of said members relatively to the other, in interlocked relationship, one antenna connected stud anchored in one member, an insulating sleeve also carried by the last named member, an inner antenna conductor passing through said insulating sleeve, and a Spring clip contact maker between said stud and said conductor being secured to the latter so as to be disposed adjustably thereof.

12. As a new article of manufacture an insulator bracket, a bushing anchored in said bracket on one side of the bracket a tubular member in said bushing formed with an intermediate flange engaging the other side of the bracket, an insulated antenna securing stud anchored in said member at one end, the opposite end of said tubular member being formed with a circumferentially spaced apart series of separate resilient segments which are formed to produce interrupted annular shoulders each of a frusto conical configuration with jagged surfaces, means engaging said bushing to cause the latter to crowd said jagged. shoulders against itself so as to retain the tubular member in said bushing, a tubular lining mounted so as to project into the segmentally formed end of the tubular member, being soldered thereto, an inner sleeve, insulated, mounted in said lining, a conductor projecting through said sleeve, a contact point projecting forwardly inside said member from said stud, and a spring clip on said conductor releasedly making electrical contact by engaging said contact point.

13. In combination oppositely arranged tubular members, one projecting telescopically into the other, an antenna anchored stud rigidly and insulatedly mounted in one of said members, a sleeve concentrically extending into the lastnamed member insulatedly, but being spaced from said stud, means automatically and releasedly interlocking both members upon longitudinal separation adjustably, a contact point on said stud, a conductor extending through said sleeve, and adjustably arranged spring clip closing means bridging said stud from said conductor.

THOMAS B. FRIEDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

